By Jim Wagner and Mark Stechbart
"Sunshine Is the Best
Disinfectant" on government action:
the late Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, 1913.
the late Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, 1913.
Pacifica
is known for its citizen involvement and many points of view. From various blogs
to coffee shops and dozens of community groups, we all engage and debate. A
healthy state of affairs. We have some occasional suggestions to
improve the debate. Our suggestions involve sunshine and the citizen's right to
know.
City
Council has to fully post all documents and meeting notices on the city website
a full ten days prior to the meeting. This advanced notice will permit voters to
review the actions and learn the details. Right now state law requires a 72
notice of meetings and a posting of pertinent documents on the city hall front
door. This is the internet age! Would you prefer to read important documents
describing city activity over your weekend when no one is around to give you
more detail or take ten days to evaluate?
A ten day
advanced notice would allow an article in this newspaper and the several blogs
in town. Why doesn't the city take an ad out in all media to actually alert
voters to agenda items so we can go to the city website for more
detail?
Our
thought is that giving voters more time to become informed outweighs the minor
inconvenience to have staff think ahead and schedule actions for more complete
disclosure. Sunshine is worth the effort.
Lack of
sunshine has significant problems.
Take the
City of Pacifica Climate Action Plan Task Force (CAPTF) as an example.
A very
expensive proposal is pending that will require all homeowners to upgrade their
homes to the latest energy and water standards when the home is sold.
As proposed, this rule could become mandatory after 12-18 months of
"voluntary education". Apparently when you sell your house, funds
would be withheld to pay for the upgrades. The committee envisions the cost to
be "limited" to a 1% cap of the sales price. The cost of this
hidden tax? On a $600,000 house sale--$6,000.
The full
details of this energy tax proposal and everything
else the climate committee is doing is uncertain. The climate committee
withholds all reports from the public.
Contained
in the climate committee Nov 2011 minutes is this stunning
revelation:
"Discussion and
possible action on establishing a policy on how the CAPTF (climate committee
initials) shall handle sharing draft information
Timothy
Cowan made a motion that individual Task Force members not disseminate preliminary draft
language to members of the public and public agencies for the purposes of
garnering input. Remi Tan seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously
approved 6/0."
If you
check the climate committee agendas, you will find this: Attachments: (Task Force only)
Attachments
are deliberately not posted on the city website. Committee members now won't
release the reports to the public either. A request of city staff for a public
records release of these critical documents has not been answered.
Here's
another suggestion. The city is thinking about replacing the retired police
chief. If the pending fire tax does not pass, all city budget bets are off
(deadline for submitting fire tax ballots is April 11--don't forget!)
Why
rush to hire a new chief? If the city accepts the proposition that in this
economy all ways of providing and funding city services must be re-evaluated and
tightened, why rush? After all, the California economy is teetering on a double
dip recession. Gas prices at $4.10 plus a gallon hurt everyone.
The
recent action of Half Moon Bay contracting its police department to the
Sheriff (joining Portola Valley and Woodside) is
illuminating.
Comparing
competing bids to run their department, Half Moon Bay found the Sheriff's
proposal would save the city $509,723 annually while Pacifica's proposal would
save it only $80,171 annually.
If
Pacifica moves forward to hiring a chief, why not aggressively look outside the
department for a change agent to rework all assumptions and spending levels?
Maybe a seasoned captain or lieutenant from Palo Alto, Fremont or Burlingame or
any other up-to-date department can bring new management tools to Pacifica. How
about a citizen interview panel to provide community input into a critical
service that takes a big part of the budget?
Our
thoughts, new ways of running government and sunshine all. As
necessary today as in 1913.
Submitted by Mark Stechbart
49 comments:
Jim/Mark you are so far off the mark you should remove this post and make a public apology to the climate committee.
The committee is making recommendations that will be forwarded to a consultant who will or will not include them in a report to council. Nothing being done by this committee is binding on anyone and long before any suggestion the committee makes does if ever become binding on anyone it will pass through the usual process of being agendized and debated by council.
Your characterizations are not only misleading, they are wrong and mean spirited. I was at a few of these meetings and besides a very disruptive elderly gentleman who's sole purpose on the committee seems to be to burn the clock with temper tantrums, the citizen members are all up front about everything they are doing. As I mentioned the one elderly extremely belligerent member of the committee seems to be your source of misinformation as it echoed his complete lack of understand of the process so shine some light on that, why don't you?
How about some sunshine on you two and your relationship to your frothing at the mouth committee member buddy?
Mr. Bray protests too much. We stand by our story.
We said the policy items and the tax on the home sale are a pending matter. Pending means not finished nor approved.
Mr. Bray is correct that the report will go before Council. We said nothing to the contrary in the story. We are raising the alarm about current committee actions.
As we write more stories about this committee and its actions, one can hope wiser heads prevail at Council since they probably will not prevail within the committee.
Mr. Bray does have information we were not privy to: the consultant can re-write everything in its entirety and ignore the committee. If true, why have a committee? Puzzling.
Committee members may be upfront about everything they are doing. We made no judgment about intentions. We do have serious objections to this committee deliberately withholding public documents from the taxpayers.
Readers of this blog can examine this link:
http://www.cityofpacifica.org/government/committees/climate_action_plan_task_force/default.asp
The agendas are very skimpy and the minutes are incomprehensible without the underlying documents. Those underlying documents are not available. That is fundamentally contrary to open government.
Of our multiple sources for this story, none match Mr. Bray's juvenile description of a frothy old gentlemen.
If Mr. Bray wants to march off and express a viewpoint about other issues regarding this committee, he is free to do his own writing. We respectively decline his suggestion to engage on a fool's errand that dilutes our concern about the total lack of transparency in this committee's actions.
Best/
stechbart
Sorry Mark, didn't realize you were going for a Peabody.
Bray knows it all. There is nothing Bray doesn't know!!!
Bray is the Mr Peabody of Pacfica.
Have a question stop by and ask Todd Bray!!!
An interesting thought came to me, how much staff time was budgeted to this committee, and what is the budget for the "consultant". Oh, and who is this "consultant"? I've heard from a crotchety old man that the public documents requested in reference to this committee stand 10 inches high, or more. Lot's of paper! Is there a budget item somwhere with an amount?
5:03pm, do you mean "Confucius"? Google doesn't know who "confusious" is? I'm not trying to be critical, I'm just trying to understand what you're saying.
Todd, does seem to be well informed, bright, and energetic, supporting the causes he believes in. Is your comment about Mr. Peabody, a cartoon character you remember? If so great, positive comments are appreciated by everyone.
On the other hand, people who just target others personally are jerks, agreed?
Any overlap between this climate committee and the whacky open space committee? A bigger waste of time would be hard to find and yet they have the ear of council. Must be an only in Pacifica phenomena.
Isn't it funny that Todd Bray is an expert on everything in this town. Run for office and see how many votes you get if you know everything and solve the problems of Pacifica instead of always being critical.
9:10am BOO to your comments! Isn't it funny that you choose to critically attack Todd personally (who has a different, informed view), rather than use "critical thinking" to discuss the city Climate Task Force work and transparency issue. What does that say about you?
I think a case could be made, as Mark and Jim have with their article, that the Climate Task Force has not been transparent enough, (compare to the work, Agendas and Minutes of the Economic Development Committee).
And, if it is the case that the Climate Task Force work is leading to expensive, draconian city ordinances, including those tacked on to cost upon selling a home, their work might warrant further consideration.
Whereas, if this committee can share better climate control solutions which will benefit our community today or in the near future that will be valuable work appreciated.
Examples of what might be beneficial to our community: suggestion of insulation or conservation of home energy and water usage, including what government information or funding is available to assist, etc. And, committee support for infrastructure improvement: fixing the highway through town to reduce stalled traffic (air pollution); updated disclosure about replacing aged sewer laterals and collection pipes; a check list about what we as a population are doing right, what we are doing wrong, what's needed; a list of reference information available to the public. Combine some of this effort with the green building findings, etc.
That's right. No criticism will be tolerated in the gulag. Knock it off Todd. We're running low on apologists and shape-shifters.
No highway improvement. It's in the draft now. Let's see if it hits the final report. Now we have a committee making policy.
Committees make draft reports and policy recommendations all the time. They're not policy until they're adopted by the governmental body. And they have to be agendized and discussed and be part of the public record before that can happen.
Oh for a learning curve for Jim and Mark. I pray for you two.
Todd, Climate Task Force city website documents "no attachments, (Task Force only)", and no current Agenda documents are as clear as pollution, therefore the above article comments are not possible to refute. Outstanding are the questions of authority, direction, and impact of this city council appointed Task Force.
Most of us are tired of being "prayed upon" (rather than prayed for) in this city, but on the lighter side, isn't is obvious Watson? (a 4:25 minute video).
Anon said "Committees make draft reports and policy recommendations all the time. They're not policy until they're adopted by the governmental body. And they have to be agendized and discussed and be part of the public record before that can happen."
I agree 100% and think the those here who do not understand process take some time to understand how process works. Jim knows as does Mark but they prefer roll playing, and I mean roll.
Todd, nice words in understanding city government process, but some of us have lived in Pacifica a while and have observed how what "no growth" city council wants to approve and support happens. The lopsided, negative outcome of which is the reason this city is in a financial, social, and infrastructure mess.
Jim and Mark are among the most savvy in understand these issues.
Sunshine and others, Sneaky and underhanded is no way to run a city and yet anyone who has been here a few years knows it's too often been that way in Pacifica. That perception taints everything that comes out of city hall. Everything. The desire to avoid the often unpredictable public process or to avoid "stirring up the natives" should not be any part of city hall strategy and yet we know it is. And that problem cuts across all idealogies. The principal of open and honest government stands on its own merits. No need for a poster child. Committees of various viewpoints are part of that open process but if they are sponsored by the city, their work should be public. Ten day posting of council agendas is probably too cumbersome and limiting but 5 might be a workable compromise and a huge improvement. Posting on a Thursday or Friday for a Monday meeting is useless and brazenly undemocratic. The remarks urging restraint and review before hiring a new police chief make real sense. The huge and apparently uncontrollable amount of money spent for police services demands that all options be considered openly and publicly. Outsourcing to the County Sheriff's department should be given honest and open consideration. Include the public in the process. We may very well end up with county services anyway.
I tried to warn everyone about this and no one would listen. Good luck to you all.
Anon@136 have you been to the meetings? Anyone out there attend? Are they posted somewhere?
What are you talking about 136, 226?
Various, saw the magic word 'consultant'. Who and how much? And why? Beyond a sewer plant that stinks up the real estate what's Pacificas influence on climate? Resident experts?
They meet monthly and a paid city staffer attends as liaison. Dates and times probably in the trib.
Kathy, that was my point. I think Jim and Mark are very knowledgeable of how the process works but play games with that knowledge and with others ignorance of how the process works to incite a lot of noise. So much noise that any legitimate thing(s) they are saying is lost in the chafe they have created which is too bad because like you some of their ideas are great. Not all of them but some are really solid. Unfortunately they've let the game become their main issue.
"Unfortunately they've let the game become their main issue."
Thanks Todd, and anonymous people, "got it".
Meeh is sucking up to Todd Bray
blahahahahahahahaha
No, "brown nose anonymous" I agree with Todd Bray (2:52pm) on this issue. The specifics and details may not be the same. Is that clear enough for you?
If not, oh well...
Her other large buddy moved away.
Really Anonymous, buddies are buddies; the article, ideas and issues are not about me, my buddies or you. Get a life?
No one is more surprised than me with Kathy's support against baseless attacks here and I do appreciate it. Any cowardly lyons out there want a one on one with me I'm in the phone book, but then you'd have to identify yourselves wouldn't you. The sad part is we probably already know each other but because of some false sense of importance you post anonymously in some form or fashion. Man up.
You had it right. Some folk are all about the games and their motives and methods and their "execution" are no better than those of the people they oppose. Ignore them.
All democratic politicians support this Pacifica Cap and Trade. All people complaining about this vote for these same politicians. Useful Idiots, You reap what you sow.
Could we live without your morning curse, pro-pollution Anon?
i wonder if mister bray was so cavalier about george bush's national energy policy development group, and the denial of foia requests into that group's meetings, agendas, and findings. of course, mister bray claims to be knowledgeable about how the system works, so let's hear why the climate task force in pacifica is any different.
Everything's different in Pacifica, duh.
FOIA. Bit of a stretch don't you think Anon (1:43pm)?
Refer to 4:01pm, nothing is different in Pacifica, duh.
"The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that gives you the right to access information from the federal government. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government."
winning, duh!
No surprise...Vreeland misses another Council meeting! I didn't catch the beginning so don't know if he was kidnapped by aliens or the thrill is gone but his chair was empty.
They took roll to begin the meeting and no reason was given for his absence.
he doesn't have to show up. showing up is for you people. he is not one of you people.
That's a relief.
From 3/22/2010 to 4/11/2011 Vree has missed 11 meetings. During that time the late August meeting and the end of December meeting were cancelled. 13 meetings missed in one year. 3 of 5 this year already. He hasn't missed a paycheck, though.
Bean Counter Bob, I think that number of city council meetings this year has been 7. Councilmember Vreeland missed 5 meetings, attended 2. Even so, by your 1 year count, it appears that Councilmember Vreeland has missed more that half of the city council meetings of which he is 1 of 5 principals (decision makers representing this city).
Maybe it doesn't matter, how many years has he been on city council, 12 years? And during that time we have transferred a ton of land out of city jurisdiction, passed a lot more cost to citizens, failed to fix the highway, failed to build a balanced city economy; we don't even have an ADA compliant city hall. Blame him? Why not, he is a genius at glossing over failed city policies.
Is he just taking an informal break from his city duties or is he also on leave from the EPA? Anyone know?
7 last year and 5 this year!
What a man!
looks like wendy "stonewall" chavez is gone from the office. ask his current boss about his status with the EPA:
Mary Simms (simms.mary@epa.gov)
Office Phone: (415) 947-4270
Cell Phone: (415) 760-5419
The one meeting he DIDN't miss........
selecting Planning Commissioners. hmmm
Hmmm...and I'll bet he didn't miss any city paychecks. Can't wait to see if he rolls into the budget session tomorrow night. Trim the fat and start with him. Total ripoff of public funds
to pay that guy.
Vree was paid over 20k in 2010. Didn't miss a paycheck once!
Not bad work if you can get it.
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